Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 14 February
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) |
| Round table on conflict of interests | PDP will support new RS Govt |
| Dzihanovic on administr. reduction | Milosevic trial resumes |
| Mostar priests killed 60 years ago | Developments in |
TV news broadcast on 13 February
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Regional News | Preschool education in BiH | Bukejlovic completed his cabinet |
| Puljic attends Conference in | Masovic: still 200 mass graves in BiH | HR on unified police and joiningEU |
| Tokic on political crisis | Issue of displaced persons | Hays for NN: BiH could go bankrupt |
| Masovic: still 200 mass graves in BiH | SDS in session | Dzihanovic on reducing admin. |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| A student killed in | Elektrobosna Jajce affair | Tadic visits Kosovo |
| A child beaten in | Fraud in Sipad Export-Import | Cavic on new RS Government |
| Severe weather in | Dispute on Feroelektro privatisation | Day of RS Veterans |
| Boris Tadic visits Kosovo | Bukejlovic’s government on vetting | “Sutra 2” aid project for refugees |
| Oslobodjenje | Every fourth soldier with the level of disability in |
| Dnevni Avaz | Penalties for the accomplice of war criminals will be harsher; Entities are major obstruction to state development |
| Dnevni List | Features |
| Vecernji List | Features |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | Serbian President Boris Tadic visited Kosovo: Kosovo is part of SiCG |
| EuroBlic | Tadic in Kosovo: Kosmet is part of |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
NOTE: Glas Srpske was not published due to Anniversary of 1st Serb Uprising
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| PDP will support new RS Govt
| BH Radio 1 at 12.00 – PDP will support the election of the new RS Government, but will not take part in it. According to PDP press release issued today, bearing in mind challenges ahead of RS, RS deserves a programme and personnel concept better than the offered one, owing to which reason PDP would not take part in the new Government composition. |
| Round table on conflict of interests starts | RHB at 12.00 – The round table discussion on prevention of conflict of interests in BH authority institutions takes place in |
| Mostar mortar rounds hearing postponed | RHB at 12.00 – The main hearing on the Mostar mortar rounds case scheduled for today has been postponed because one of the suspects (Jusuf Piralic) did not come at the hearing due to the weather conditions. |
Political issues / Cooperation with ICTY | |
| Cavic: ‘It is not possible to appoint new RS Govt without PDP support in RSNA’
| FTV, BHT1, NTV Hayat, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘PM-designate Bukejlovic established the Cabinet’ by J. Stojanovic, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Cavic: Everything depends on support of PDP’, announced on cover ‘Cavic: election of new Government depends on PDP’ by S. Gojkovic– The SDS Acting President, Dragan Cavic, stated in Banja Luka on Sunday that it will not be possible to appoint the RS Government without the support of the PDP in the RS National Assembly. Cavic said after the SDS Main Board session that the composition of the new Government has been “basically completed” and that PDP is expected to state by Monday morning whether it supports the new Government. “It is very clear that without PDP, there will be no assembly’s majority support in RSNA for [Pero] Bukejlovic’s government,” said Cavic. He added that if the new RS Government is appointed then it will be a new government in the true sense of that word, but refused to reveal the names of ministers in the possible new government. He confirmed that current Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic and Defence Minister Milovan Stankovic would remain at their posts. He also confirmed that Bukejlovic has already sent six names from his list to OHR for the vetting procedure, adding he expects a final response from OHR by Monday. PINK -Cavic said: “I suppose that PDP’s decision is going to be a positive one, after reconsidering the talks we have held with them, but we understand their reasons for having such relations towards the Government.” On the crisis in the BiH Council of Ministers, Cavic said that SDS’ opinion was the BiH House of Representatives should nominate the new CoM, underlying SDS opinion was equal to PDP’s. RTRS – Cavic stated that SDS is optimistic regarding the appointment of new RS Government on Tuesday, adding that majority which will support Bukejlovic is the same one that supported the previous government, only this time without SDA. |
| PDP’s session discuss support to RS Government | Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Cavic: Everything depends on support of PDP’, announced on cover ‘Cavic: election of new Government depends on PDP’ by S. Gojkovic – Member of the Main Board of PDP Velimir Sakan stated Sunday that a session of PDP Presidency would be held after PDP President Mladen Ivanic returns from an official trip. According to NN, the session of PDP Presidency commenced late Sunday evening and, according to some unofficial information, PDP members had different stances with regard to the election of the new Government prior to the start of the session. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ’42 MP’s votes uncertain’ by Orijana Vukovic – Daily also carries announcement of the 15 February session, underlying that it is still unknown whether Bukejlovic will receive support. BHT 1 – Nebojsa Radmanovic, the chair of the SNSD Executive Board, believes that the agreement between Bukejlovic and PDP has already been reached. |
| Merdzo [HDZ]: ‘Entities have become major obstacle to normal functioning of the state’
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Entities have become major obstacle to normal functioning of the state’, mentioned on cover ‘Entities are major obstruction to state development’ by F. Vele – Josip Merdzo, member of HDZ of BiH Presidency, says in a statement to DA that “Croats should accomplish disputable issues concerning national rights, meaning equality with other people. At the state level, which might be one of the HDZ directions on future organization of BiH”. He did not want to respond to the questions as to whether these stances symbol HDZ disowning from its ideas on third entity. |
| DL on constitutional set-up of BiH: Regionalisation is a way forward
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Removing ‘straightjacket’’, by Ivica Glibusic – The author notes that many foreign and domestic officials see the Dayton Peace Accord as a ‘straightjacket’ that prevents BiH from making further progress, which should be removed as soon as possible. The author goes on to say that the (proposal) of organization of security forces in BiH, which should be organized in regions, is an announcement of changes to the current organization of the state, which is organized in two entities. The author argues that BiH definitely needs to change its internal organization and the best way to do it is to carry out the changes that should meet the EU standards. In that context, the author says the regionalization of country, which is being endorsed by European officials, is the way forward for BiH. |
Police reform / War crimes issues | |
| Radovan Karadzic’s brother says family threatened
| BHT 1 – Radovan Karadzic’s brother Luka claims that the informal groups, and some individuals from Montenegrin police, have been trying to disclose Radovan’s residence in order to win award. Luka Karadzic also claims that those groups and individuals frequently threaten Karadzic’s family, his son Sasa in particular. “No one of Karadzic’s family members in NTV Hayat, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Luka Karadzic says he is threatened because of Radovan’ by Srna, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Threats to my family and S. Karadzic’ by bs, Nezavisne novine pg 6 ‘They are threatening to mine and Radovan’s family’ by Srna, EuroBlic pg 3 ‘They are threatening son with murder’ not signed – also reported. |
| HR Ashdown: BiH can forget about EU without single police
| BHT 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Jurisdiction of entities’ MoIs must be raised to the state level’ by Fena, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘MoI’s authorities be raised to state level‘ – The HR Paddy Ashdown stated in an interview to RS Radio that BiH could forget about the road to EU, abolishment of visa regime and harmonization of salaries for police officers without the single police structure with a jurisdiction at the state level. Ashdown said he sees no reason as to why entities Interior Ministries would not continue to exist, however with their authorities raised at the state level. “There are some other authorities that entities police forces enjoy and they could remain,” stated Ashdown adding that the police reform is the last big and the hardest reform in BiH. |
| DA int with Tihic: ‘I fear confidential deal between HDZ and SDS against BiH’ [plus on IC, police reform]
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash, pg 5 ‘I fear confidential deal between HDZ and SDS against BiH’ by Mirela Kukan – In an interview with DA, the member of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, express his concern commenting to the statement by HDZ Vice President Barisa Colak that the lawsuit should be solved through out-of-court settlement. Tihic said: “I fear some confidential deals between HDZ and SDS against BiH, and for those deals to have roots in some political forces in the neighbouring countries. That, unfortunately, shows that HDZ still has not given up the coalition with forces working against BiH’s interests.” Tihic said he was surprised with the HR statement that it is time for domestic forces to take over authorities: “I personally believe that such is attitude of those political forces in BiH that resist the reforms or try to reduce them. I think that the IC in a form of OHR should stay in BiH until constitutional changes are carried out.” He underlines he is worried with “hesitation of the IC. Instead of sanctioning those responsible in RS for BiH’s failure to enter PfP, they made concessions. That is indicative in carrying out police reform and announcement of withdrawing OHR and decreasing its role.” On police reform, Tihic says: “Unfortunately, they have partially given up on the criteria of professionalism and efficiency. Several political compromises were made. I think that HQ of the regional centre to be in Foca is big mistake… It is not fair to have Foca, which until now was logistics centre of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic to be awarded and to have HQ of regional centre in it. That is a clear message as to what is thought of war criminals and perpetrators.” |
| Softic: No reason to settle with SCG
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Lawsuit will not be resolved through settlement’ by A. Beus, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Settlement would be a mistake’ by N. Krsman – BiH legal representative in the country’s lawsuit against Serbia and Montenegro, Sakib Softic, stated that there was no reason to resolve something that is about to get its epilogue in the court in any other way but in the court. He also confirmed that he did not receive any instruction about some sort of agreement or settlement. |
| Working group for coop w/ ICTY: ‘Penalties for the accomplice of war criminals will be harsher’
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Penalties for the accomplice of war criminals will be harsher’, mentioned on cover, by E. Sarac – Dailyhas learnt that the first meeting of the Monitoring Group for cooperation with ICTY has resulted in some concrete agreements, such as improvement of RS cooperation with the ICTY. Those also stipulate that the state institutions, primarily the BiH Security Ministry ensures there is a full coordination of activities between the BiH SBS, SIPA and OSA with the entities’ ministries. Furthermore, the representatives of the international community and the local authorities will examine legal presumptions aimed at making sanctions against persons aiding war crime suspects be more harsh. The special attention may be paid to modalities of freeing their property in BiH. |
| B92: Former Mladic’s bodyguard works at SiCG Army after all
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Former Mladic’s bodyguard is a captain in SiCG army’, mentioned on cover, by B. Boskov, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Puhalo works at SiCG Army after all’ by B92, Vecernje Novosti pg 6 ‘Mladic’s companion in Topcider’ by B92 – Former bodyguard of Ratko Mladic, Branislav Puhalo, does work at SiCG Army, despite to denials of Army representatives. Puhalo’s wife confirmed this information, reported |
| BiH MoD to present HR Ashdown report on Han-Pijesak military facilities today
| Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Serb officers are helping Karadzic and Mladic’ by E. Medunjanin – The High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, should officially get on Monday (today) the complete report on the investigation carried out by the BiH Defence Ministry (MoD) after the International Community claimed that ICTY fugitive Ratko Mladic was hiding in the RS Army facilities in Han Pijesak. According to VL unofficial information, the BiH MoD did not get the information, which would confirm Ashdown’s accusations about Mladic’s hiding in Han Pijesak. VL also says that the HR will certainly react to this report and it is expected that he would also assess meeting of other demands set to BiH Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic. The article also says that according to unofficial information, it will depend on this report and meeting of other demands how fast abolishment of entity MoDs will take place. VL concludes that the efficient preventing of RS officers to help hiding of Karadzic, Mladic and the others might extend lifetime of the RS MoD. |
| Mektic: Security Ministry, SBS not to be blamed for failure to arrest PIFWCs
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Nobody is held responsible’ by R. Cengic – BiH Ministry of Security and State Border Service do not consider these institutions to be dominantly responsible for failure to arrest war crimes suspects and war crimes indictees. ‘The Ministry of Security has been established two years ago and cannot be held responsible for failure to arrest persons that were put on wanted lists eight years ago’, Deputy BiH Minister for Security Dragan Mektic has stated. |
Crime affairs and issues / judicial proceedings | |
| Elektrobosna affair: financial police to carry out control of company?; DL:Petritsch, Ashdown knew about criminal privatisation?
| FTV by Nadja Ridzic – Affair in the ‘Elektrobosna” Jajce has culminated recently when one the company’s stockholders, Croatian citizen Zvonko Matijas, publicly accused the director of ‘Elektrobosna’, Tomislav Mihalj,of racketeering. It all started when a British firm signed an agreement with ‘Elektrobosna’ on joint investments. As it turns out, that British firm is in fact a fictitious enterprise with no employees. The owner of that firm is Zvonko Matijas, one of the ‘Elektrobosna’ stockholders, who is now hiding somewhere in Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Denunciations field against officials of the Elektrobosna in 2002’ by F. Cardzic – DA article reads that the despite the announcement of the FBiH Prime Minister, Ahmet Hadzipasic, that legality of the Elektrobosna’s operation will be subject to the control, financial police has not received the order to do so. However, daily claims that until 2,5 years ago, the enterprise was controlled and that in 2002 four crime reports were filed against 12 persons due to the misuse of office. Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Financial Police enters Elektrobosna’, by De. L. – The daily notes that responsible officials in the FBiH Government have become interested in stories about illegalities in ‘Elektrobosna’ and alleged plunders worth 50 million KMs, and according to DL, the Financial Police should be entering the company one of these days. DL reports that Mihalj also asked from the State Prosecutor, Marinko Jurcevic, to launch an investigation, but the BiH Prosecution never reacted. DL also carries a former leader of Unions in Jajce, Eduard Sklenar, who is allegedly well-informed about what went on in the company. Sklenar says that he had been in contacts with the IPTF, OHR, OSCE and SFOR since 1999 and that they all promised they would look into the issue, however they never did anything. Sklenar notes that everything bad that happened to ‘Elektrobosna’ from 1995 until present days is responsibility of friar Stipo Marcinkovic, former President of HDZ Jajce and President of Supervisory Board until 2003, Ivo Simunovic, and HDZ’s head of economic department in Jajce, Zlatan Istvanic, who helped Matijas and Milorad Miso Skrbic to enter the company under suspicious circumstances. Finally, Sklenar says that both Wolfgang Petritsch and Paddy Ashdown knew about the “criminal privatization” in ‘Elektrobosna’. “Why did Ashdown never come to Jajce? He only dispatched Donald Hays to talk to criminals. Senior international officials have been cooperating with criminals until present days”, says Sklenar. |
| FBiH Supreme Court to discuss Ivan Vuksic case | BHT 1, NTV Hayat, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Vuksic case before FBiH Supreme Court’; Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Trial to Ivan Vuksic’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Vuksic case before Supreme Court today’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Ivan Vuksic at defendants’ stand again’ by A. D. – FBiH Supreme Court will discuss the case of former FBiH intelligence service Deputy Director Ivan Vuksic on Monday. |
| Hasan Cengic to enter plea today
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Hasan Cengic to plea on guilt’, mentioned on cover – Hasan Cengic, delegate at the BiH HoP and SDA official charged with the office abuse during the time he was deputy defence minister, is expected to enter his plea before the BiH Court today (Monday). Cengic is expected to appear before the judge for pre-trial proceeding, and the further development of the process would depend on this plea of his. |
| Update to Alijagic case: NGOs demand for individual responsibility
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5, announced on cover ‘Bozidar Vucurevic broke into warehouse of Alijagic store’ by P. Klincov – carries a statement of Rajko Vulic, then Head of the Commission for confiscation of property, who claims that then Trebinje Assembly Chairman Bozidar Vucurevic broke into a warehouse of Alijagic store after Dusan Tasev, a son-in-law of Alijagics, had refused to give him the key of the warehouse. Inset ‘NGOs demand for individual responsibility to be determined’ reads that 13 NGOs have issued a statement with regard to the Alijagic case, demanding for an individual responsibility to be determined instead of punishing every citizen of |
| DL on immunity of international staff in BiH | Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘EUFOR members not responsible for criminal acts’, by Dario Pusic – Carries a negative feature story on the issue of immunity of members of EUFOR and other international institutions in BiH. DL notes that the immunity, which gives immunity from criminal prosecution, was granted in |
| Djogic, Toskic claim FBiH Privatisation Agency’s staff breached rules of conduct | Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘Employees of privatization agencies were involved in frauds’ by D. Muminovic – Amer Toskic, the Chairman of Trade Union Commission for audit of privatization in FBiH, has stated that the Trade Union associations have delivered documentation on more than 120 cases, for which it is suspected that employees of privatization agencies have been involved in privatization frauds. The Head of Sarajevo Canton Privatization Agency, Rifet Djogic, says the Agency will ask for help of the police in conducting investigations in cases in which the Agency employees have participated in frauds. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘There are suspicions that Privatization Agency’s staff also severely breached rules of conduct’ by E.P. – Adding to his statement on possible frauds in the Agency [for details, see BiH Media Round-up for February 13] Djogic says that the investigation by MoI could lead to possible dismissals in the Agency, as there are suspicions that some staff severely breached rules of conduct. |
Economic, social and return issues | |
| Dzihanovic proposes reduction of public administration
| RHB, BHT1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Dzihanovic supporting administration reduction’, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Dzihanovic proposes the administration reduction’, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Reduction of FBiH administration’ by f– FBiH Vice President Sahbaz Dzihanovic will present on Monday the proposal of measures and constitutional solutions that need to be implemented in order to downsize the administration in FBiH. At a press conference on Monday Dzihanovic is expected to speak about the closing of certain FBiH institutions, filling up of the FBiH House of Peoples in accordance with the FBiH Constitution, Serb representatives that need to be appointed, and constitutional solutions for the transfer of authority from the entity to the state level. |
| NN op-ed on Hays claim that BiH was facing bankruptcy
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Bankruptcy’ by Natasa Krsman – The author quotes PDHR Donald Hays as saying BiH was facing bankruptcy and criticizes him for his announced departure considering such a situation. She says such statements are nothing new nor incredible and adds: ‘The only incredible thing is that foreign experts, in which BiH citizens include even Hays, are not offering a new solution. The author says the only thing done in last several years is increasing of the number of employees by establishing institutions at the state level while preserving entity and Cantonal institutions. She refers to the recent downsizing of the number of ITA employees and claims it was more important whether the candidates that kept their jobs had an approval of OHR than whether they were professional and experienced. She goes on to say that a similar situation is with regard to appointments of Ministers at BiH Governments. ‘Therefore, if BiH is facing a bankruptcy then OHR and its experts should take a great part of the blame…’, the author claims. BHT1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Bosnia and Herzegovina threatened with bankruptcy’, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘BiH faced with bankruptcy’ by ra – Media carry out the abovementioned statement by PDHR in an interview to Nezavisne Novine [see Round-up for February 13]. |
| Electronic media features on return: Process to be completed by end 2006?; 42 municipalities carry out reconstruction program
| PINK by Almir Sarenkapa – There are over 170 000 displaced persons in BiH. While almost every year since the end of the war was marked as the ‘year of return’, the real issue is when this process will be completed. FBiH Minister of DPs and Refugees, Edin Music, said: “I think that the process would not end until the end of 2006, due to insufficient means.” Over 2/3 of DPs live in the area of BHT 1 – This year, in 42 municipalities of BiH the reconstruction programs for houses and apartments of returnees should be carried out. At least 40.000 families are waiting for reconstruction of their pre-war houses all over BiH. RTRS – BIH Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons plans to carry out the assistance project called “Sutra2” for reconstruction of homes for returnees. The total value of the project is approximately 58 million KM. The funds will be provided by the CoE’s Development Bank, under the condition that the BiH authorities ensured 10 million KM for this purpose. RTSR says that the Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons has managed to secure the necessary funds by signing agreement on joint investment with FBIH, RS, Brcko District and BIH Council of Ministers. Until now FBIH government paid only 1,2 million KM instead of 4 million KM. |
| Oslobodjenje: Every fourth soldier with the level of disability in
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘Every fourth soldier with the level of disability in Sarajevo’ by A. Becirovic – Dissatisfied with the process of issuance of certificates on disability, Ibrahim Nadarevic, FBiH Minister for Soldiers’ issues, has temporarily suspended the issuance of certificates for war disabled persons, assigned with a low or high percentage of disability. The minister actually questions the reasons for high level of disability certificate, claiming there are too he was surprised to see that the percentage of disability has expanded in some municipalities onto every fourth soldier. |